From
Early Adventurers on the Western Waters; Vol. 2 by Mary B. Kegley

SHUFFLEBARGER

The name Shufflebarger appears under several
spellings including Shovelbarger, Shufflebarrier, and in some records is
indexed under the letter "B" the name being written, for example,
Elias S. Barger, and John S. Barringer (Montgomery County Census, 1810; Pulaski
County Deeds; Montgomery County Will Book 1, p. 136).

The first two men mentioned in the New River
settlement with this name were father and son, Jacob and Elias Shufflebarger.
They both appear together in Captain Daniel Howe's list of militia and Elias
and John appear in Captain James Byrn's Company (Kegley, Militia of Montgomery
County, pp. 10, 26).

Jacob Shufflebarger first bought land from Patton's
executors in 1794. The tract of 120 acres was located on Falling or Sinking
Spring near the present town of Dublin. In 1800 Elias Shufflebarger obtained a
survey of 110 acres adjoining and obtained the grant in 1803 (Land Grant Book
52, p. 10; Montgomery County Deed Book B, p. 171; Montgomery County Survey Book
E, p. 471).

Jacob Shovelbarger wrote his will February 19, 1801,
and it was recorded in August of the same year. To his wife Margaret he left
his whole estate, real and personal, for her widowhood. To Elias Shufflebarger he
left all lands on Sinking Creek and to John Shufflebarger he left all lands on
Little Walkers Creek. To Catherine Hornbarger he left 5 pounds, to Elizabeth
Smith he left the same, and to Catherine Pazor he left 10 poundsrevoking all former wills. Margaret his wife
refused to be the administrator of the estate and John and Elias Shufflebarger
acted (Montgomery County Will Book 1, p. 136).

Elias Shufflebarger obtained land from his father,
as mentioned above, and added by survey a tract of 110 acres which adjoined
Jacob's land (Montgomery County Survey Book E, p. 471).

Elias Shufflebarger married Mary Wizor (Wysor) in
1791.She was the daughter of Adam and
Elizabeth Wysor. This young couple may have lived first on Little Walker's
Creek, selling lands there in 1795 to Daniel Howe. The 1810 census records show
that Elias S. Barger had 9 males and 2 females in his household (Montgomery
County Deed Book B, p. 185; Montgomery County Census, I 810; Montgomery County
Marriages).

In 1826 Elias sold the 110 acres on the head of
Sinking Spring to his son John for "love and affection and $1.”The tract was known as "the Jim Day
cabin tract" (Montgomery County Deed Book K, p. 85).

Elias Shufflebarger died in 1826, and his inventory
was listed in November of that year by James Wygle, Thomas Cloyd and John Wigal
(Montgomery County Will Book 4, p. 272). Among the many items listed were the
following: shoats, sows, pigs, cows, calves, heifers, steers, a bull, sheep,
stacks of hay, oats and rye, com, a new "barr sheer plow," a shovel
plow, a pair of small stretchers, an old wagon, a "middling new
wagon," pitchforks, dungforks, hoes, shovels, mattocks, froes, scythes,
grindstones, a large wool wheel, 2 flax wheels and reel, a crosscut saw, a flax
break, a foot adz, cooper's adz, an iron square, a rasp, a "jointer
plain," a "jack plaine," a "smoothing plain," chisels,
compasses, a broad ax, 6 "whoops," a "hearing rood," a tub
with 400 pounds of plaster, 4 bee hives, a large pot, a large kettle, bellows,
vise, 3 pair smith tongs, 5 punches, a sledge hammer, hand hammers, a shot box,
2 rifle guns, a shot pouch, powder horn, a churn, coffee mill, two pewter
"basons," 2 dishes, 2 plates, 3 ovens, one pot with hooks, a loom and
3 reels, “geers”, a quill wheel, flax hackle, steelyards, cupboard with
furniture, a failingleaf table, 3 slates, a candlestand, split bottom chairs, 2
smoothing irons, beds and their furniture, table, and 20 geese. There were also
10 acres of rye in one field and 5 acres in another. The settlement of the estate
listed in Montgomery County Will Book 4, p. 444, names the widow Mary and the
following heirs: David S. Barger, Charles S. Barger, Elias S. Barger, Simon S.
Barger, Isaac S. Barger, Hiram S. Barger, and Adam S. Barger. John and Jacob S.
Barger were the administrators of the estate.

Deeds record the transfer of property from some
heirs to others in an attempt to settle the estate. In 1827 Simon Shufflebarger
was living in Pope County, Illinois, and sold his share to his brother Jacob,
all the land then being 390 acres in three tracts. In 1828 Charles
Shufflebarger sold his interest to his brother David. In 1829 Isaac
Shufflebarger and his wife Elizabeth sold their share to Jacob, son of Elias.
In 1833 Hiramsold their interest to
David, son of Elias. Because Jacob and David had purchased shares from the
other heirs, and had two shares of their own, they decided to divide the place
and this was done and recorded in 1835.Jacob received 191 acres and David 132. Elias Shufflebarger Jr. and his
wife Nancy (Carper) sold their interest in the estate of Elias, Sr. to Samuel
Cecil, Jr. (Montgomery County Deed Books K, pp. 79, 81, 360, 404; L, p. 116; M,
p. 32).

Jacob Shufflebarger, Jr., son of Elias and Mary
Wysor Shufflebarger was married on March 27, 1825, to Phoebe Katherine
Trollinger, daughter of John Trollinger, Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Burris.
Their children were: Newton, Harry, Jasper, Henry, Marion who married Eliza
Durham, Taylor who married Cosby Woolwine, Virginia who married Warham Stevens
Dudley, Elizabeth who married T. H. Kinser, Eliza who married Whitney Cecil,
and Malinda who married Gordon Cecil. Jacob and Phoebe lived at the
Shufflebarger estate known as Sinking Spring near Dublin. This place, with its
noted abundance of boxwoods, was purchased by the government and became part of
the "bag loading" plant in the 1940's. Jacob and Phoebe were buried
at the family cemetery at the homeplace but were moved to the Dublin Cemetery
when the government took over the estate (Darst, Darsts of Virginia, pp. 371-372; see also Gladden, Durst-Darst
Family, pp.753-54. There are
some discrepancies in the two accounts of the family in these two books).

John Shufflebarger, Sr., probably son of Jacob, Sr.,
owned property on Back Creek where he lived and operated a mill. The ridge and
branch near his home site are named Shuffle, apparently in his honor, and the
names appear on present maps of the county. He owned two grants, one for 170
acres granted 1793, and the mill tract containing 33 acres granted in 1788. These
1ands came into the Hoge estate, the grandchildren of John Shufflebarger, Sr.
making the deeds (Pulaski County Deed Books 2. pp. 257, 287, 318; 4, p. 321).

John Shufflebarger, Sr's estate was appraised in
August 1832 and recorded in September of the same year. Abram Earhart, his
soninlaw, was administrator of the estate. The appraisal was done by David
Cloyd, Isaac Hudson, and Crozier Eaton and included the following items: mares,
horses, cows, rye, sows, pigs, shoats, a broadax, a foot adz, a pair of stretchers,
crowbar, hoes, auger, hammer, mattock, old plows, loom and tackle, barrels,
sawmill irons, horse gears, pewter, "Plaines,’smoothing irons, hackle,
sheepsheers, handsaw, a big and little wheel, oven, table, work bench, scythe
and hangings, "rifle gun," shotgun, a cupboard, 3 dressed deerskins,
a pair of steelyards, beds of straw and feathers, jugs, wash kettle, staves at
the mill, a rig or rug wheel, iron for the sawmill, tubs at the mill, a box for
cutting cabbage, hides, a cutting box, and coulter (Montgomery County Will Book
5, pp. 121, 132).

Confederate Shufflebargers in the Civil War

From
The Roster of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865Ed. by Janet B. Hewett